Please don’t set your program to auto-update my drivers without telling me. Because, no, your newer drivers are not always better, in fact they often break something, which is why I NEVER auto-update drivers (or much of anything else).
Thanks for wasting a good six hours of my life fixing your screwed up driver problem.
Signed,
a massively frustrated customer.
Petro
LOL. A blog can be a particularly useful thing sometimes, no?
alyosha
You’ve got to find a way to insert yourself into any software update process. For my desktop, I control when I go out to Microsoft’s site to do an update, I don’t leave it to their automatic update process. Windows XP gives you the option to control it, but I suspect auto-update (don’t bug me) is the default. Wrong – step in and disable auto-update. Nearly all of the other software I run has the decency to tell me there’s an update out there, and what do I want to do about it? “Nothing” is a perfectly acceptable answer.
As someone who wrote software professionally for several decades, it’s newbie arrogance to assume that your code is going to work and that it should automatically be installed without the user knowing it or having any say. Most companies (those that want to last anyway) have moved past this, where they at least offer you the choice of whether to proceed or not.
A fine point on this: many software vendors install “demons” that run at startup (or even all the time), and all they do is go out and poll the vendors’ site for a new version of their wonderful software. This is where those messages come from that say “A new version of GigaBot 3 is ready to Install”. If you’re planning to assert yourself and take control of the installation process anyway, it makes sense to disable these cycle-sucking, startup-slowing parasites. I use a tool called “RegCure” – which is really designed to clean up the Windows registry – but which also can manage startup processes – to disable these critters.
Finally, are you taking full system backups? Regularly? These have saved my butt countless times from ill-reasoned new installations and updates.
Ian Welsh
I have auto updates for Windows set to manual, but something else is obviously auto-updating things, because rollbacks work to fix the problem (twice now). I think I’ve identified the culprit, but I could be wrong.
anon2525
It works both ways: there are defects in drivers that you want gone, and fixes introduce problems that were not there before. There is no (single) answer because the complexity is too great to know which one matters more (the solved problem or the newly introduced error?). This is what separates software from, for example, automobiles. There are many recalls issued by car companies, and most people will take their car in to get the fix, if they learn about it. How many people say, “I heard that there is a problem with brakes or steering on my model car, but I’m not going in to get an ‘update’! They’ll just break something that isn’t broken.”?
…rollbacks work to fix the problem (twice now)
It sounds like you’ve identified a good strategy. Of course, it means that you’ll need to keep track of what you’ve allowed to be updated and what you haven’t. Otherwise, how will you know what to do when the next update is released into the wild, (if there is ever a fix for your problem)?
KZK
Use the Zonealarm firewall. It can block programs from accessing the internet entirely. You’ll know when something is trying to do something. (ZA has automatic updates for itself which you should set to manual when you first install).
Ian Welsh
My software policy is “don’t fix what isn’t broke”. Thanks for the suggestion KZK.
Suspenders
Heh, getting pwned by the dreaded auto update. I’ve had that happen to me a few times also; not pretty when it borks your installation.
I generally only recommend folks setting their antivirus to auto update (it’s most useful that way). For Windows your best off being slightly behind the curve with updates, to avoid being Microsofts’ guinea pig. Otherwise, being on the “bleeding edge” can sometimes live up to it’s name 😉
lambert strether
In general, auto-updates are cheaper to write. What’s wrong with you?
Cujo359
Even with Linux, where I see far fewer update issues like this, I use manual updating. I usually just let it update everything once I’ve checked the list, but it’s still good to know what’s likely to be screwed up by a change.
Albertde
If you are progressive, why are you using Micro$oft Windows?
chicago dyke
i’m pretty sure that doesn’t ever happen on my old Mac. it always asks before installing stuff, which i rarely do. i get so annoyed that i am forced to “upgrade” in order to use certain websites, and most of the time, if that is a requirement, i won’t be going to that site. facebook is a prime example of that. sure, i’d love a new computer with the newest software so i can access it, but i can’t afford that right now. oh well, i don’t think i’m missing much at FB other than lots of wasted time.